ACTOR
Klaus Kinski
1926 - 1991

Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski (German: [klaʊs ˈkɪnski] ; born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski 18 October 1926 – 23 November 1991) was a German actor. Equally renowned for his intense performance style and notorious for his volatile personality, he appeared in over 130 film roles in a career that spanned 40 years, from 1948 to 1988. He is best known for starring in five films directed by Werner Herzog from 1972 to 1987 (Aguirre, the Wrath of God; Nosferatu the Vampyre; Woyzeck; Fitzcarraldo; and Cobra Verde), who would later chronicle their tumultuous relationship in the documentary My Best Fiend. Kinski's roles spanned multiple genres, languages, and nationalities, including Spaghetti Westerns, horror films, war films, dramas, and Edgar Wallace krimi films. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in 56 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 54 in 2024). Klaus Kinski is the 134th most popular actor (down from 126th in 2024), the 45th most popular biography from Poland (up from 54th in 2019) and the most popular Polish Actor.
Klaus Kinski is most famous for his role as a Nazi officer in the film "Aguirre, the Wrath of God."
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Klaus Kinski by language
Among ACTORS
Among actors, Klaus Kinski ranks 134 out of 13,578. Before him are Raul Julia, Helen Mirren, Jane Birkin, Orson Welles, Tommy Lee Jones, and Paulette Goddard. After him are Judi Dench, Roberto Benigni, Tyrone Power, Robert Duvall, Jason Statham, and Michael Gambon.
Most Popular Actors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsRaul Julia
1940 - 1994
HPI: 76.05
Rank: 128
Helen Mirren
1945 - Present
HPI: 76.04
Rank: 129
Jane Birkin
1946 - 2023
HPI: 75.97
Rank: 130
Orson Welles
1915 - 1985
HPI: 75.95
Rank: 131
Tommy Lee Jones
1946 - Present
HPI: 75.92
Rank: 132
Paulette Goddard
1910 - 1990
HPI: 75.84
Rank: 133
Klaus Kinski
1926 - 1991
HPI: 75.81
Rank: 134
Judi Dench
1934 - Present
HPI: 75.79
Rank: 135
Roberto Benigni
1952 - Present
HPI: 75.75
Rank: 136
Tyrone Power
1914 - 1958
HPI: 75.74
Rank: 137
Robert Duvall
1931 - Present
HPI: 75.73
Rank: 138
Jason Statham
1967 - Present
HPI: 75.70
Rank: 139
Michael Gambon
1940 - 2023
HPI: 75.66
Rank: 140
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1926, Klaus Kinski ranks 15. Before him are Leslie Nielsen, Thích Nhất Hạnh, Dario Fo, Ben Roy Mottelson, Vasily Arkhipov, and Donald A. Glaser. After him are René Goscinny, Sathya Sai Baba, Svetlana Alliluyeva, Nuon Chea, Prince Claus of the Netherlands, and Andrzej Wajda. Among people deceased in 1991, Klaus Kinski ranks 11. Before him are Dr. Seuss, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Serge Gainsbourg, Carl David Anderson, Yves Montand, and Klaus Barbie. After him are Gustáv Husák, W. Arthur Lewis, Jiang Qing, Graham Greene, John Bardeen, and Miles Davis.
Others Born in 1926
Go to all RankingsLeslie Nielsen
ACTOR
1926 - 2010
HPI: 77.80
Rank: 9
Thích Nhất Hạnh
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1926 - 2022
HPI: 77.07
Rank: 10
Dario Fo
WRITER
1926 - 2016
HPI: 76.74
Rank: 11
Ben Roy Mottelson
PHYSICIST
1926 - 2022
HPI: 76.12
Rank: 12
Vasily Arkhipov
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1926 - 1998
HPI: 75.89
Rank: 13
Donald A. Glaser
PHYSICIST
1926 - 2013
HPI: 75.85
Rank: 14
Klaus Kinski
ACTOR
1926 - 1991
HPI: 75.81
Rank: 15
René Goscinny
COMIC ARTIST
1926 - 1977
HPI: 75.31
Rank: 16
Sathya Sai Baba
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1926 - 2011
HPI: 75.23
Rank: 17
Svetlana Alliluyeva
WRITER
1926 - 2011
HPI: 75.06
Rank: 18
Nuon Chea
POLITICIAN
1926 - 2019
HPI: 74.45
Rank: 19
Prince Claus of the Netherlands
NOBLEMAN
1926 - 2002
HPI: 74.41
Rank: 20
Andrzej Wajda
FILM DIRECTOR
1926 - 2016
HPI: 74.25
Rank: 21
Others Deceased in 1991
Go to all RankingsDr. Seuss
WRITER
1904 - 1991
HPI: 79.94
Rank: 5
Isaac Bashevis Singer
WRITER
1902 - 1991
HPI: 77.49
Rank: 6
Serge Gainsbourg
SINGER
1928 - 1991
HPI: 77.43
Rank: 7
Carl David Anderson
PHYSICIST
1905 - 1991
HPI: 76.33
Rank: 8
Yves Montand
ACTOR
1921 - 1991
HPI: 76.18
Rank: 9
Klaus Barbie
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1913 - 1991
HPI: 76.07
Rank: 10
Klaus Kinski
ACTOR
1926 - 1991
HPI: 75.81
Rank: 11
Gustáv Husák
POLITICIAN
1913 - 1991
HPI: 74.65
Rank: 12
W. Arthur Lewis
ECONOMIST
1915 - 1991
HPI: 74.61
Rank: 13
Jiang Qing
POLITICIAN
1914 - 1991
HPI: 74.04
Rank: 14
Graham Greene
WRITER
1904 - 1991
HPI: 73.99
Rank: 15
John Bardeen
PHYSICIST
1908 - 1991
HPI: 73.99
Rank: 16
Miles Davis
MUSICIAN
1926 - 1991
HPI: 73.83
Rank: 17
In Poland
Among people born in Poland, Klaus Kinski ranks 45 out of 1,694. Before him are Walther Nernst (1864), Arthur Rubinstein (1887), Wojciech Jaruzelski (1923), Vladislaus II of Hungary (1456), Rudolf Virchow (1821), and Bronisław Malinowski (1884). After him are Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768), Casimir III the Great (1310), Kurt Alder (1902), Faustina Kowalska (1905), Paul Ehrlich (1854), and Kurt Lewin (1890).
Others born in Poland
Go to all RankingsWalther Nernst
CHEMIST
1864 - 1941
HPI: 76.12
Rank: 39
Arthur Rubinstein
MUSICIAN
1887 - 1982
HPI: 76.08
Rank: 40
Wojciech Jaruzelski
POLITICIAN
1923 - 2014
HPI: 76.03
Rank: 41
Vladislaus II of Hungary
POLITICIAN
1456 - 1516
HPI: 76.02
Rank: 42
Rudolf Virchow
PHYSICIAN
1821 - 1902
HPI: 75.97
Rank: 43
Bronisław Malinowski
ANTHROPOLOGIST
1884 - 1942
HPI: 75.83
Rank: 44
Klaus Kinski
ACTOR
1926 - 1991
HPI: 75.81
Rank: 45
Friedrich Schleiermacher
PHILOSOPHER
1768 - 1834
HPI: 75.81
Rank: 46
Casimir III the Great
POLITICIAN
1310 - 1370
HPI: 75.79
Rank: 47
Kurt Alder
CHEMIST
1902 - 1958
HPI: 75.78
Rank: 48
Faustina Kowalska
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1905 - 1938
HPI: 75.76
Rank: 49
Paul Ehrlich
PHYSICIAN
1854 - 1915
HPI: 75.73
Rank: 50
Kurt Lewin
PSYCHOLOGIST
1890 - 1947
HPI: 75.66
Rank: 51
Among ACTORS In Poland
Among actors born in Poland, Klaus Kinski ranks 1. After him are Pola Negri (1897), Hanna Schygulla (1943), Daniel Olbrychski (1945), Lilli Palmer (1914), Barbara Brylska (1941), Krystyna Janda (1952), Anny Ondra (1903), Aleksander Krupa (1947), Dita Parlo (1906), Izabella Scorupco (1970), and Paul Wegener (1874).
Klaus Kinski
1926 - 1991
HPI: 75.81
Rank: 1
Pola Negri
1897 - 1987
HPI: 71.67
Rank: 2
Hanna Schygulla
1943 - Present
HPI: 70.16
Rank: 3
Daniel Olbrychski
1945 - Present
HPI: 65.82
Rank: 4
Lilli Palmer
1914 - 1986
HPI: 65.62
Rank: 5
Barbara Brylska
1941 - Present
HPI: 65.02
Rank: 6
Krystyna Janda
1952 - Present
HPI: 64.39
Rank: 7
Anny Ondra
1903 - 1987
HPI: 63.02
Rank: 8
Aleksander Krupa
1947 - Present
HPI: 62.79
Rank: 9
Dita Parlo
1906 - 1971
HPI: 62.79
Rank: 10
Izabella Scorupco
1970 - Present
HPI: 62.64
Rank: 11
Paul Wegener
1874 - 1948
HPI: 62.45
Rank: 12



























































